System for attaching a handguard to a firearm

• US 9,683,808 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superior Metal Fabricators, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Superior Metal Fabricators, Inc.
• Inventors: Gagnon, William
• Primary Examiner(s): MORGAN, DERRICK R
• Application Number:
  US14/921,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20170115094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 42 7501, 42 7503
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 11/00 Assembly or disassembly features; Modular concepts; Articulated or collapsible guns F41A3/64, F41A19/10 - F41A19/15, F41A21/48, F41A25/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/16 Forestocks; Handgrips; Hand guards pump-action guns F41C7/02

Abstract

A firearm handguard includes a hollow interior cavity extending from a receiving end to an exit end of the handguard, and forms a receiving end portion. An attachment mechanism is screwed to the usual receiver head on the firearm receiver which secures the attachment mechanism to the firearm receiver. The attachment mechanism is received in the receiving end portion of the handguard. A projection extends from either the attachment mechanism or the handguard and a mating recess is provided in the other of the attachment mechanism or the handguard to receive and hold the projection. The inside diameter of the receiving end portion of the handguard can be enlarged or reduced so that the attachment mechanism can be received in the receiving end portion and the projection then received and held by the mating recess to thereby attach it to the attachment mechanism and hold it against relative longitudinal movement.

Claims

1. A system for attaching a handguard to a firearm comprising:

a handguard comprising a handguard receiving end, a handguard receiving end portion, an exit end, and a cavity having a length extending through the handguard from the receiving end to the exit end and sized to receive a firearm barrel therethrough, a portion of the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion and configured to receive an attachment mechanism therein, said cavity having a normal size along the length which is rigidly formed by a portion of the handguard;

an attachment mechanism for attachment to a firearm receiver, wherein the attachment mechanism is inserted into the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion to attach the handguard to the firearm;

a projection extending from one of the attachment mechanism or the handguard;

a receiving recess in the other of the attachment mechanism or the handguard configured to align with and receive the projection when the handguard receiving end portion of the handguard is properly positioned with respect to the attachment mechanism and adapted to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the handguard with respect to the attachment mechanism when the projection is received in the receiving recess;

wherein the normal size of the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion closely receives the attachment mechanism whereby the projection is received in the receiving recess to not allow the attachment mechanism to slide into or out of the normal size cavity; and

an assembly for manually resiliently increasing the size of the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion from the normal size to an increased size to allow the attachment mechanism to slide into or out of the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion when the cavity has an increased size.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a hollow cylinder, and wherein the portion of the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion is of similar cylindrical shape and the normal size closely receives the attachment mechanism therein.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the assembly for manually resiliently increasing the size of the cavity extending through the handguard comprises:

a slit in the handguard receiving end portion, said slit having a normal width;

a first tab attached along one side of the slit;

a second tab attached along an opposite side of the slit; and

a screw threaded through the first tab and disposed against the second tab, wherein turning the screw in one direction applies pressure against the second tab and separates the first tab from the second tab, thereby enlarging the slit and enlarging the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion sufficiently to allow the attachment mechanism to slide into the cavity, and turning the screw in the opposite direction releases pressure against the second tab allowing the second tab to approach the first tab, thereby allowing the slit and the cavity to return toward their normal sizes wherein the projection is received in the receiving recess to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the handguard with respect to the attachment assembly.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the handguard further comprises:

at least one locking screw extending through an unthreaded opening in the first tab and threaded through the second tab, wherein turning the at least one locking screw in one direction tightens the at least one locking screw against the first tab thereby preventing the tabs from separating, additional turning of the at least one locking screw in the same direction draws the second tab toward the first tab, thereby narrowing the slit and reducing the size of the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion to more closely hold and/or clamp the attachment mechanism in the cavity, turning the at least one locking screw in the opposite direction allows the slit and the cavity to return to their normal sizes, and additional turning of the at least one locking screw in said opposite direction allows the tabs to be separated.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the projection is a flange and the receiving recess is a mating groove.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the flange is a radial flange and the mating groove is a radial groove.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the radial flange extends from the attachment mechanism.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the radial groove is perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the handguard.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the cavity includes a chamber capable of receiving a firearm gas tube extending therethrough.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a friction band.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cavity includes an inner friction band on the inner surface of the handguard.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the inner friction band is configured to engage the friction band when the projection has engaged the receiving recess.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a receiver end having interior threads capable of engaging complementary threads on a firearm receiver;

and an adjustment end comprising at least one slot, wherein a tool may apply torque to the attachment end to rotate the attachment mechanism with respect to the receiver and tighten the attachment mechanism to the receiver.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the cavity includes one or more ventilation channels therein extending from the receiving end to the exit end.

15. A method of attaching a handguard to a firearm comprising:

engaging inner threads on a receiving end of a cylindric attachment means with corresponding threads on a firearm receiver;

engaging a torque wrench to at least one slot on an adjustment end of the attachment means and rotating the attachment means until the attachment means is fixed to the firearm receiver;

removing the torque wrench from the slot and sliding the adjustment end of the attachment means into a cavity of a handguard, the cavity extending along a longitudinal length of the handguard;

rotating a threaded screw located in a first tab at a receiving end of the handguard, wherein the screw presses against a second tab at the receiving end of the handguard and increases the size of the cavity of the receiving end creating an enlarged receiving end cavity;

inserting the attachment mechanism into the enlarged receiving end cavity until an external flange on the attachment mechanism is aligned with a groove on an inside surface of the cavity;

counter-rotating the threaded screw, thereby engaging the external flange on the attachment means with the groove on the inner surface of the cavity so that the attachment means is locked from sliding further in or back out of the cavity.

16. A system for attaching a handguard to a firearm comprising:

a handguard comprising a receiving end, an exit end, a cavity extending from the receiving end to the exit end along a longitudinal length of the handguard and sized to receive a firearm barrel therethrough, and a handguard receiving end portion configured to receive an attachment mechanism;

an attachment mechanism for attachment to a firearm receiver, wherein the attachment mechanism is inserted into the handguard receiving end portion to attach the handguard to the firearm;

a projection extending from one of the attachment mechanism or the handguard;

a receiving recess in the other of the attachment mechanism or the handguard configured to align with and receive the projection when the handguard receiving end portion of the handguard is properly positioned with respect to the attachment mechanism and adapted to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the handguard with respect to the attachment assembly when the projection is received in the receiving recess;

wherein the handguard receiving end portion is of a normal size to closely receive the attachment mechanism whereby the projection will not allow the attachment mechanism to slide into or out of the normal size cavity; and

a slit in the receiving end portion, said slit having a normal width;

a first tab attached along one side of the slit;

a second tab attached along an opposite side of the slit; and

a screw threaded through the first tab and disposed against the second tab, wherein turning the screw in one direction applies pressure against the second tab and separates the first tab from the second tab, thereby enlarging the slit and enlarging the cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion sufficiently to allow the attachment mechanism to slide into the cavity, and turning the screw in the opposite direction releases pressure against the second tab allowing the second tab to approach the first tab, thereby allowing the slit and the cavity to return to their normal sizes wherein the projection is received in the receiving recess to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the handguard with respect to the attachment assembly.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a hollow cylinder, and wherein the handguard cavity extending through the handguard receiving end portion is of similar cylindrical shape and is sized to receive the attachment mechanism therein.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the projection is a flange and the receiving recess is a mating groove.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the flange is a radial flange and the mating groove is a radial groove.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the cavity includes a chamber capable of receiving a firearm gas tube extending therethrough.